Mountain View Voice

Election results show city leans left

Mountain View showed left-leaning political stripes in the November election, voting to the left of the county and much of the state according to certified results released earlier this month.

Compared to the average voter in Santa Clara County who cast a ballot on Nov. 4, Mountain View residents voted farther to the left on issues such as gay marriage, high speed rail, BART to San Jose, animal rights and parental notification for abortion. The only city in the county to vote more to the left on such issues was Palo Alto.

"If anything I think we might be getting even more progressive," compared to last year, said Vice Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga. "In terms of voter registration, we're overwhelmingly Democratic, though the number of Independents has grown."

President-elect Barack Obama had more voter support in Mountain View and Palo Alto than in any other cities in Santa Clara County, winning 76.9 percent of the vote in Mountain View and 80.1 percent in Palo Alto. The average for a city countywide was 69.5 percent.

For state Proposition 8, a proposed ban on gay marriage, 69.3 percent of Mountain View voters opposed the measure, the largest opposition in the county behind Palo Alto's 75.7 percent. The proposition won in only three Santa Clara County cities: Morgan Hill, Milpitas and Gilroy. It won statewide anyway by a margin of 3 percent.

State Proposition 4, which would have required parental notification before a minor could have an abortion, followed a similar pattern among local voters. Only Palo Alto had a more liberal stance than Mountain View, with 71.5 percent voting against the measure compared to Mountain View's 68.2 percent.

Abe-Koga echoed other officials in saying that Mountain View voters were instrumental in turning the tide on BART to San Jose, helping to pass Measure B by the slimmest of margins despite having opposed several BART-to-San Jose funding measures in previous years. Measure B required 66.67 percent of the county vote to pass, and garnered 66.78 percent countywide. Mountain View was among the most supportive of Santa Clara County cities, with 68.7 percent of voters in favor of the measure.

"Mountain View helped to put that over the top, basically," Abe-Koga said. "I was extremely happy about that."

Abe-Koga was also pleased with the city's registered voter turnout —the highest of any large city in the county at 89.7 percent (the county average was 86 percent). Smaller Palo Alto had 89.8 percent, and Los Altos topped them all with a 91.6 percent turnout. County workers called the large turnout a once-in-a-lifetime event, likely due to the heated presidential race and controversial propositions.

Abe-Koga credited Mountain View's "progressive" lean to the city's changing demographics: more young people, more college educated people and changing racial demographics.

Posted by Enough!, a resident of Old Mountain View
on Dec 19, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Well gee, that's a huge surprise.

Posted by FormerSylvanDale man, a resident of another community
on Dec 19, 2008 at 9:03 pm

I'm glad I don't live in Mountain View anymore. Too scary turning MV to left like "Che's stuffs" soon.

Posted by Mr. Gonzales, a resident of Whisman Station
on Dec 19, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Mountain View is becoming more progressive! Wow I can't wait! Let's look to the biggest, and nearest, example for how we'll end up--San Francisco. We'll have a homeless person standing on every street corner, fighting for space, next to the current day laborers we have now. We'll have more Marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks coffee houses. We'll have even more neighborhood welfare "projects" like the huge existing ones on Shoreline Blvd., Tyrella Ave. and the newest one on San Antonio Circle. City employees will be able to change their sex organs on the tax payer's dollar. We'll have even more programs to assist fugitives (illegal aliens) with housing, schooling and medical care. We'll have ultra tolerance for any behavior like drug abuse/trafficking, slave trafficking (aka prostitution) and other aberrant life styles. Mountain View will be a great place to raise a family!

Posted by Jon S., a resident of The Crossings
on Dec 20, 2008 at 1:19 am

Well, at least by supporting illegal immigrants, no I mean embracing them and their diversity, at least we are perpetuating all the criminals and bottom feeders that profit the illegal immigrant trade and exploit those who seek to come to Mountain View through hell and high water. Oh wait, that line of argument would mean I would have to stop smoking this joint, since I don't want to support the drug cartels. Hmm... choices... what the hec, as long as I'm comfortable and benefiting from cheap labor for my house cleaning, gardening, and day care, why should I complain. Wink, wink.